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Category: Writing Process

I’m a terrible writer. Some days.

I’m a terrible writer. Some days.

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“I hate writing. I love having written.” – Dorothy Parker Winter has been quite the emotional roller coaster for this scribe. My first novel, Straightville, U.S.A., hasn’t found a publishing home yet, and a recent pass from a promising editor had me ready to throw my laptop off the roof. Meanwhile, after churning out 50,000 words of my second novel during November’s National Novel Writing Month, the manuscript was weak at best and not getting any stronger. Between allowing myself…

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10 Surefire Cures for Writer’s Block

10 Surefire Cures for Writer’s Block

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"The easiest thing to do on earth is not write." – William Goldman Last weekend, I was bound and determined to devote two solid days to writing and nothing but writing! And, boy, did I give it the good ol’ college try. I sat down at my desk, opened my manuscript and stared at the screen. My characters were there, in the scene, just waiting to be directed. But what did I get? Basically, this… I tried all my usual…

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May-December Romances: Fiction or Nonfiction?

May-December Romances: Fiction or Nonfiction?

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Harold and Maude. Ashton and Demi. Hugh Hefner and, well, just about anybody. Ah, the May-December romance, that fervent dance between spring chicken and old crow. But when does an age gap become a chasm? Here’s one theory: “In May-December romances, age gaps are okay, but generation gaps are a really bad idea.” (That’s from Oprah’s website, so it may as well be chiseled into a stone tablet, no? I should just stop right here and be done.) But seriously,…

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I see little balls of sunshine in a bag…

I see little balls of sunshine in a bag…

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A quick update: It's been quiet here on the blog for awhile. For the past several weeks, I've been trudging through editorial hell. When I reviewed the manuscript I hurriedly compiled during NaNoWriMo, I loved the premise and the characters I've created but something else was very…off. I have since begun shifting the entire narrative mode, a rather tedious process that has me feeling a little like Blanche Devereaux in this clip. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54y-Mjxz9vw And I'm only halfway through the manuscript. On the…

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Writing Process? What the heck is that?

Writing Process? What the heck is that?

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Authors are routinely asked about their writing process. Everyone wants to know how books are written, how thoughts and ideas move from inside the writer’s head to characters on a computer screen. I’ve read that Junot Diaz goes into the bathroom and writes perched on the edge of his tub. Anne Rice has a preferred font size. My pal J.H. Trumble is a clutter-hater and spends a lot of time cleaning to get in the mood. So, what is my…

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